Sweat trickled down Manager Wu's forehead.
Wei Chengbiao's face also darkened.
Harassing a maid and beating a clerk were actually trivial matters.
For him, they were even less than a trifle. At most, it would just mean compensating with some money.
However, secretly manipulating the grain transactions in the warehouse was a major offense!
In Changyi Square, there were numerous granaries and warehouses. Half of the grain trade in the capital took place here.
If his words were proven true, it would be a blatant declaration that he had sole control over the grain trade in the capital!
It was as if he had grabbed the livelihoods of the capital's commoners and even the diet of the nobles and royalty into his own hands.
Digging deeper, it was hoarding grain, manipulating grain prices, harboring ill intentions, and being utterly treasonous!
If this charge were to be laid on him, Wei Chengbiao would not have enough heads to be chopped off!
Only then did Wei Chengbiao belatedly realize Xiao Jingnan's intention.
He had insisted on summoning the warehouse manager not for the matter of harassing the maid, but to pin the grave charge of maliciously hoarding grain and manipulating grain prices on him!
"No! I was just spouting nonsense!"
Wei Chengbiao immediately said, "I was just joking with them at that time. Who knew this guy would take it seriously..."
Xiao Jingnan pressed on relentlessly, "Then was it also a joke when you said you would buy all the grain in this warehouse?"
"This..."
Wei Chengbiao rolled his eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.
Xiao Jingnan continued, "Manager, there must be at least a thousand catties of grain in your warehouse. When he said he would buy all of it, did you sign a contract? Did he pay a deposit?"
"..."
The manager stammered and couldn't utter a word.
"For such a large - scale transaction, without signing a contract or paying a deposit, and yet the manager directly refused other buyers... You're really bold, Manager."
Xiao Jingnan's tone was laced with mockery, and there was an unmistakable coldness in his smiling eyes.
Wei Chengbiao roared, "It's his goods. He can sell them to whoever he wants! Do you guys want to force him to sell to you?"
"Well, that makes sense,"
Xiao Jingnan actually nodded.
However, the next second, he changed the subject, "But the conflict in the warehouse happened in an instant, and yet the officers of the Jingzhao Prefecture arrived in a flash. How do you explain this incredible speed?"
Xiao Jingnan turned to Cui Yanzhi, "Could it be that Lord Cui has the ability to foresee the future and knew in advance that something would happen in that warehouse?"
Cui Yanzhi's face instantly flushed as red as pig liver, "Nonsense! The soldiers of the Jingzhao Prefecture just happened to pass by and came across it..."
Xiao Jingnan said, "The soldiers of the Jingzhao Prefecture have fixed patrol routes. If they suddenly change their routes or shifts, they need to register and get approval from their superiors."
"Whether they just happened to pass by or not can be easily determined by checking the registration records."
"However, I must remind Lord Cui..."
He smiled faintly, "Changyi Square is in the outer city. According to the usual route, the patrol would only reach there in the afternoon. Sending troops to the outer city suddenly, Lord Cui had better be able to explain the reason clearly. Otherwise, mobilizing troops without cause is tantamount to treason."
Cui Yanzhi's face instantly turned deathly pale, and big beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
His legs trembled, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, unable to utter a single word.
...
Hearing this, Xu Kai already understood.
This was not a simple brawl.
It involved the faction - forming and bullying of the commoners by the commercial guilds in the capital, and even the collusion between officials and merchants. The Jingzhao Prefecture was acting as their protector...
This case was too big for the three old men to resolve just by sitting in on the hearing.
It concerned the national economy and the corruption in the court... Moreover, since the drum of grievances had been beaten, the commoners in the capital were all watching!
This matter had to be documented formally and jointly tried by the three judicial departments: the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Censorate, in order to give an account to the commoners and the court!
"I already understand this matter," Xu Kai said slowly, "I will go to the palace to ask for the imperial edict and let His Majesty and the Empress Dowager make the verdict."
He ordered that Cui Yanzhi, Wei Chengbiao, and Manager Wu be detained for trial.
Before leaving the Jingzhao Prefecture, Xu Kai gave Xiao Jingnan a deep look and said, "According to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, you are not allowed to leave the capital during this period and must be ready to be summoned at any time."
Xiao Jingnan smiled faintly, clasped his fists, and bowed, "I understand, Your Honor."
——————————
In the Shou'an Palace of the imperial palace.
"Danyang, you were too reckless!"
On the throne adorned with golden dragons and phoenixes, a middle - aged woman in a bright yellow phoenix robe was glaring angrily at a beautiful woman below.
The woman wore a complete set of twelve phoenix - shaped red - gemstone gold hairpins on her head. Each phoenix held a pearl the size of a little finger in its beak.
The dazzling nine - phoenix gold hairpin on her head swayed gently with her movements, the broken gold glistening.
Empress Dowager Kang frowned, "You made the Jingzhao Prefecture send troops to punish a mere tavern clerk just to pick a fight with Chengping?"
"Now the memorials from the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court have been submitted to my desk... If Cui Yanzhi and that Wei Chengbiao finally implicate you, I'd like to see how you're going to deal with it!"
"Don't worry, Mother. They wouldn't dare,"
The beautiful woman was dressed in a gorgeous crimson palace dress. It was exquisitely embroidered with silver thread, and the train dragged on the ground. Her waist was even hollowed out, and only a thin string of beads was strung together with silver thread.
Over the long dress was a gossamer - thin white veil, like snowflakes or mist.
She didn't even wear the outer cloak properly. She had half of it slipped off and half - draped on her forearm, revealing her graceful neckline and clearly visible collarbone.
Gorgeous, ostentatious, unrestrained, and exuding an indescribable allure.
The woman spoke in a lazy and charming voice.
"Cui Yanzhi is always timid, and Wei Chengbiao's life and fortune are in my hands... They won't say a single extra word."
Empress Dowager Kang was instantly infuriated when she saw Princess Danyang's nonchalant attitude.
"I've told you many times not to provoke Chengping, but you just won't listen!"
"Her late husband was the General of the Cavalry, Huo Xiaoyan, and her elder brother is Prince Ning, Xiao Yuancheng. They have great influence in the military. Even I, your mother, have to give her some face. But you, every day you pick fights with her over trivial matters..."
"Mother, calm down,"
Princess Danyang said lazily, "No matter how powerful the Huo and Xiao families were, their family heads are either dead or disabled. Now they're just a disorganized mess, not to be feared."
"That Xiao Yunhan, just because she was once adopted as an adopted daughter by Emperor Shizong, actually thinks she's your elder sister and our aunt? Don't you, Mother, want to teach her a lesson?"
Empress Dowager Kang opened her mouth to scold, but then thought better of it. She held back her anger and patiently said, "Even if we want to teach her a lesson, we have to think it through carefully. I've told you many times that we should plan carefully before taking action..."
"If we always wait to take action later, it'll be too late,"
Princess Danyang yawned and said, "She knew that I was going to celebrate the Qixi Festival with the commoners at the Temple of the Moon God this year, so she held a flower - viewing banquet in advance!"
"She never held a banquet in previous years. As soon as I said I was going to hold one this year, she rushed to do it first... It's not me picking a fight with her. It's clearly her trying to steal my thunder!"
Everyone in the Great Sheng Dynasty knew that Princess Danyang and County Princess Chengping, Xiao Yunhan, were on bad terms!
In Danyang's eyes, she was just a woman who had lost her husband. Why should she be respected by all the people and be so noble?
She was the only daughter of the Empress Dowager and the only princess in the Great Sheng Dynasty!